-
Jan 1, 1000
Romans Establish A Republican Government 500 BC
The Romans overthrew their kings and established a republic. In a republic every citizen could play a role. There were patricians who could be senators who made laws and served for life, there were plebeians who were voted into the assembly who also made laws, there were consuls who were drawn from the senate who acted with the authority but only for a year, and then in times of crisis a dictator was chosen for a 6 month period where they had the power to make laws and command the army. -
Period: Jan 1, 1000 to
Roman Rebublic/Empire 753BCE to 500AD
-
Jan 1, 1050
The Twelve Tables of Law Established 450BC
The earliest attempt by the Romans to create a code of law was the Laws of the 12 Tables. A commission of ten men were appointed (c. 455 B.C.) to draw up a code of law binding on both patrician and plebeian and which consuls would have to enforce. The commission produced enough statutes to fill ten bronze tablets. The plebeians were dissatisfied so two additional tablets were added. -
Jan 1, 1062
Pantheon Completed 438BC
The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC. -
Jan 1, 1120
Persecution of Christians End 380BC
In the Roman Empire religious persecution of Christians happened as a consequence of professing their faith. It began during the Ministry of Jesus and continued over a period of about three centuries until the time of Constantine when Christianity was legalized. Shortly thereafter it became the state religion of the Roman Empire in 380 BC. -
Jan 1, 1187
Christianity becomes the official religion 313 BC
Christianity had become widespread in 313. Constantine I (sole ruler 324–337) became the first Christian emperor, and in 380 Theodosius I established Christianity as the official religion. By the 5th century Christianity had rapidly changed the Empire's identity even as the Western provinces collapsed. Those who practiced the traditional polytheistic religions were persecuted, as were Christians regarded as heretics by the authorities in power. -
Jan 1, 1188
Appian Way and first aqueduct Built 312 BC
The Appian Way and the Aqueduct of Appius , built in 312 BC, was the brainchild of Appius Claudius Caecus who was known for organizing bold public works that helped make life easier for the people of Rome. Appius Claudius' most famous project was this road, which would eventually run all the way from Rome to the port city of Brindisi. The aqueduct was a main water source. -
Jan 1, 1237
The Punic Wars Began 264 BC
In 264 there was a battle between Romans and Carthaginians over Sicily. Romans win by stealing a Carthaginian ship and replicating 330 ones just like it and adapting it by adding hooks and bridges. By doing this they ended up defeating Carthage and setting in motion the other Punic wars. -
Nov 17, 1237
Earliest documented Gladiatorial combat 264BC
The first gladiatorial contest in Rome took place in 264 BC as part of a funeral. Marcus and Decimus Brutus staged a gladiatorial combat in honor of their deceased father with three pairs of slaves serving as gladiators in the Forum Boarium .The concept was that it kept alive the memory of an important individual after death. Gladiatorial games, were not made a regular part of public games until the late first century. -
Jan 1, 1279
Hannibal begins his march into Italy 218 BC
After the first Punic war Carthage gets a new general named Hannibal and he along with 40,000 men and 37 elephants march through Spain then into Italy. The main obstacle is that Hannibal has to cross the Alps. He crosses over the Alps but looses over half his men due to the cold weather and starvation. Never the less he manages to win every battle in Italy except the last one because the Romans scare the elephants by blowing trumpets so they had to return back to Carthage. -
Feb 5, 1428
Spartacus Revolt 73-72 BC
In Rome, the rebel leader Spartacus led an army of slaves that defeated Roman legions. Spartacus was captured, sold into slavery, and then trained to be a gladiator. In 73 B.C. he escaped with 70 gladiators; they gathered other escaped slaves , and as their force grew they defeated Roman troops in a series of large battles. By 72 B.C. Spartacus had a force of 120,000. The next year Spartacus and his forces were cornered by Roman armies and and wiped out in a battle where Spartacus dead. -
Jan 1, 1438
Rule of Augustus (Octavian) 63 B.C. - 14 C.E
In 27 B.C., the Senate granted Octavian the name Augustus and made him Emperor. Under his rule he restored peace after 100 years of civil war; maintained an honest government and a sound currency system; extended the highway system connecting Rome with its empire; and built many bridges, aqueducts and buildings.The empire expanded under him with his generals subduing Spain, Gaul, Panonia and Dalmatia. After his death, the people the Roman Empire worshipped him as a god. -
Nov 22, 1442
First Triumvirate formed by Pompey Caesar , and Crassus 59BC
The First Triumvirate was the political alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar, Marcus Licinius Crassus, and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. The First Triumvirate had no official status whatsoever; its overwhelming power in the Roman Republic was strictly unofficial influence, and was in fact kept secret for some time as part of the political machinations of the Triumvirs themselves. It was formed in 59 BC and lasted until Crassus's death in 53 BC. -
Jan 1, 1453
Julius Caesar defeats Pompey 48 BC
In 53 BC Crassus is killed and there is a rivalry between Pompey and Caesar. The senators lean towards Pompey as their best protection. The senate instructs Caesar in , to give up his command of Gaul and return to Rome as a citizen. Caesar's marches his army south of Rome, crossing Rubicon in 49BC. Doing so Caesar launches a civil war. Pompey escapes the danger by taking a fleet of ships and retreating to Greece. Caesar pursues him there and eventually defeats him at Pharsalus. -
Jan 1, 1453
Library of Alexandria burned 48 BC
The Library of Alexandria in Egypt, was the largest most significant library of the ancient world. It was a major center of scholarship from its construction in the 3rd century BC until the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 BC. Julius Caesar "accidentally" burned the library down when he set fire to his own ships to frustrate Achillas attempt to limit his ability to communicate by sea .After its destruction, scholars used a "daughter library" , located in another part of the city. -
May 4, 1470
Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatra at Actium September 2, 31 BC
When Octavian met the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, Roman forces faced Roman forces, pretty evenly matched. The fighting continued throughout the day of September 2,31 B.C., until Cleopatra took her troops and left the naval battle. Mark Antony followed her. The result was that Octavian, helped by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa , won. Since Marcus Aemilius Lepidus had already been exiled, this left only Octavian to be the leader of Rome. -
Jan 1, 1474
Pax Romana( Roman Peace) 27BC-180AD
Pax Romana was the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force experimented by the Roman Empire. Its span was about 207 years and was established by Ceasar Agustus. -
Jan 1, 1573
Jews expelled from Palestine72 AD
In 72 A. D., the Romans expelled the Jews from Palestine. The Jews settled in North Africa, Spain, and eastern and western Europe. For the Jewish people, life outside of Palestine was called the Diaspora. At the start of each Jewish New Year, Jews in the Diaspora would toast one another and promise, "Next year in Jerusalem." It appeared a forlorn hope. -
Jan 1, 1580
Pompeii Destroyed 79AD
Pompeii was a Roman city that was completely buried during a long eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The eruption buried Pompeii under about 13 to 20 feet of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1,600 years before its rediscovery around 1592. The ash and rocks from the volcano covered 65 acres and killed 25,000 people. The ash cloud was 900 degrees Celsius. People died from breathing in the ash which turned to cement in their body and drowned them and some died from the heat -
Jan 1, 1581
Coliseum Completed 80AD
The Coliseum is one of Rome's most famous buildings/monuments to the culture of the ancient Romans. Construction was initiated by the Emperor Vespasian around 72 AD. His son Titus took over its completion, about 8 years later, in 80 AD. It was built near the site of Nero's Domus Aurea. The Coliseum was the Empire's primary stage for gladiatorial combat for nearly 4 centuries. In a show of Rome's wealth and extravagance, during the opening ceremonies in 80 AD, 100 days of the games were held. -
Diocletian divides the empire into two 286AD
Emperor Diocletian decided to split the Roman empire in half. That way, it would be easier to manage. This created two Roman empires - the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire. Each side had a ruler in charge of it. But the ruler who was in charge of Rome was the senior ruler. The Western Roman Empire included the city of Rome. The Eastern Roman Empire included the city of Byzantium. Diocletian chose to rule the Eastern Roman Empire and placed a good friend in charge of Rome. -
Constantine gains the throne 306AD
Constantine I became Emperor in the "Gallic Prefecture" of Britain, Gaul and the Iberian Peninsula, on the death of his father in 306. In 312 he defeated Maxentius at the Milvian Britdge (at which point he openly embraced Christianity) and thus became sole Emperor in the West. A rival, Licinius, ruled the Eastern half until 324, when Constantine defeated him in civil war. Constantine then ruled the whole empire until his death in 337. -
Capital of the empire moved to Constantinople 330AD
In AD 307, Constantine became emperor. He believed that Rome as a city was too far away from vital areas of the empire to be of value from a governmental level. Constantine, therefore, moved the capital of the empire to a new city – Constantinople. This was a new city that was built on the old city of Byzantium. Whatever the motives were, Constantine’s decision was a poor one. Constantinople was much further east than Rome and firmly in the eastern empire.This left the western empire vulnerable. -
Visigoths Plunder Rome 410 AD
In 350 CE, the Visigoths were attacked by the Huns. The Visigoths responded by moving into Roman territory near the mouth of the Danube .But the Romans abused them: officials demanded illegal tribute from Visigoths; when the Visigoths refused to pay, Roman soldiers took their children as slaves, raped the women, and tortured the men. In 378, 50,000 Visigoths rebelled and defeated an army sent from Constantinople. Then they moved through Greece towards Italy.In 410 the Visigoths plundered Rom -
German leader, Odoacer, ousted emperor of Rome 476AD
Odoacer was a German general and the first non-Roman ruler of Italy after AD 476. He was commander of the Roman army who deposed the last Roman emperor which meant that the Western Roman Empire ceased to exist.. Odoacer was proclaimed king by his troops in 476AD . Odoacer then deposed the emperor Romulus Augustulus. He became the first barbarian king of Italy but by 489 Theodoric the Ostrogoth invaded Italy. Odoacer surrendered and was killed in 493. -
Period: to
Roman Republic/Empire 753BCE to 500AD
